


Again

by tyberiousDuctor



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, Flashback, Fluff, M/M, Major Spoilers, Mutual Pining, Post-Ending, Purely Fluff, Slow Dancing, awkward teenagers, i dont advise reading if you havent finished the game, mention of major character death but it isn't a focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 14:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12412044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyberiousDuctor/pseuds/tyberiousDuctor
Summary: "Iggy, do you remember the first time you heard this song?""Vaguely. It has been nearly 20 years, so you may have to refresh my memory, darling.""Fine. You were 14 and I was 15, and that was the first time I knew I loved you."





	Again

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for how disgusting(ly sweet) this is  
> Thank you @Firalyx for beta-ing this for me!
> 
> also for The Full Experience it's important to listen to Again by Doris Day while reading this (or if you want to be really specific, when the music in the fic starts lol):
> 
> YT: https://youtu.be/gBqaRlDcmbw
> 
> soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/doris-day-official/again-9

In the 10 years that darkness had encumbered all of Eos, the weather had changed drastically. It was to be expected, although it was still surprising when a light sheet of snow began to fall over the desert of Leide around the fourth winter.

When all was said and done and light returned to their world, the climate didn't snap back to normal immediately. Temperatures stayed lower than average, and while humanity got along just fine with the adverse affects it had--as it had been for several years now--it did make winters in Insomnia particularly cold. It already had an annual light snow to begin with, but the change made for heavier snowfall, and those that returned to the city seldom _wanted_  to go outside. Ignis, however, was one person that _had_  to go outside everyday regardless of the circumstances.

With Noctis gone, it was up to the remaining three of them, along with Cor, an in-training Talcott, and any other remaining dignitaries, to help rebuild and run Insomnia. There was no king but if there had to be one, the position would've been shared by Ignis and Cor, though neither one would be comfortable with such a title as 'King.' Gladio was positioned directly below them, maintaining his role as shield to Ignis and Cor as Clarus once was to Regis; as he once was to Noctis. Prompto still had a lot to learn about politics, and was therefore directly below Gladio, but he was an excellent fighter and over the years had become well-versed in tactics. Even as a person now of democratic power, Ignis still wouldn’t be comfortable living in the Citadel as royalty once did. Luckily, not only did he have options for himself, but he also had a partner whose family home was left relatively untouched by the enemy and only suffered at the hands of 10 years' time and nature itself.

The clean-up for the large home was easy enough. Gladio picked up most of the debris, and Ignis did what he could on that front. Where Gladio repaired, Ignis cleaned and tinkered behind him. They both agreed that running water, electricity, a working kitchen, and the lovely stone fireplace Gladio had known all his life came as first priorities. For the first three months of their residence, they were completely content sleeping together in a nest of blankets on the tiled floor.

Ignis was 34 years old and their home was perfectly comfortable after two years of working to get it that way. Being home made his stresses from his day melt away, and like any other, his day had been an arduous one. They had repaired most buildings, made most homes livable again, and were now working to repair roads enough for vehicle use. Arguments of budgets and politics on 'how much help should _really_  go to the people' amongst some of the more conservative members of the new council impeded their progress, and had been for weeks. Frankly, it took a toll on all of them, but especially Ignis being the youngest on the council. Today particularly, that toll was obvious to both Gladio and Cor, and coupled with the fact that there was nothing more Ignis could do for the day and the snow was steadily coming down harder with each passing hour, they insisted he go home early before the weather made it any harder to walk through it and that they would take care of the rest for the day. Gladio promised to meet him at home later.

As much as he persisted, he never regretted it once he trudged through the snow and into his home. He'd grown to love the fact that Gladio insisted they fixed the fireplace, because now it was his commonplace to warm up, read a book, and listen to music. Braille seemed to translate through his fingers better for him when he listened to orchestral music, and the crackling of the fire seemed to keep him from getting too lost in what he was reading and listening to. When the front door opened a few hours later, he didn't have to ask or wonder if it was Gladio--he could simply hear the weight put into each step, the sound that his specific shoe sole made--he knew it was. What he didn't expect was a sudden change in the music a few moments later, filling the the large living room with the chords of an electric guitar, the light humming of a chorus, and then a slow, beautiful voice.

Gladio moved, and a second later, Ignis felt a weighted hand on his shoulder. "What is it, Gladio?"

"Give me your hand. I know shit's been hard lately, and I'm trying to be romantic here."

"Such a delicate way with words." Without another question, he folded the book in his lap and set it aside before finding the warm, calloused hand that was offered to him. Gladio grasped his hand and lifted him up, lowering the other hand to the small of his back, and Ignis's instinctually rested on his shoulder.

"Iggy, you remember the first time you heard this song?" Ignis could never get tired of the low and distinctive rumble his lover had in his voice.

"Vaguely," There was a tease in his voice. "It has been nearly 20 years, you may have to refresh my memory, darling."

They stepped together in dance at the pace of the song's rhythm, dancing lazily, lovingly, Ignis sliding his hand across the broad shoulder it rested on and settling on the back of the larger man's neck as Gladio started speaking. "It was the Solstice Ball--"

"It was the _Winter_  Solstice Ball," He corrected.

"So you do remember."

"Paint a picture for me anyway. Just know I'll be here to correct any inaccuracies in your telling."

Gladio snorted in response, "Maybe you should be the one to do it then, since you're so confident you remember every little detail."

Ignis hummed as if he were thinking but he already knew his answer, and the by the slight smirk that his lips couldn't help but form, he was sure Gladio knew the answer too. "No, that wouldn't be as fun."

"Fine." His hand had unconsciously slid to rest on his partner's hip as the two naturally stepped to rotate in their dance. "You were 14 and I was 15, and that was the first time I knew I loved you."

 

_Every year, once a year, the kingdom of Lucis threw an extravagant party hosted by the royal family themselves. Anyone who was of any importance or any friend of the King and any friend of those who served directly under the king, was invited. It was a grand party that was held in the largest room of the Citadel, and while it was all fun for the adults, or "stuffy old farts" as Noctis liked to call them, it was daunting and embarrassing for any children and teenagers that were forced to attend. This was especially so for those children that were in any family of nobility since more was expected and extra attention was paid to them._

_Noctis was dressed in the finest suit a 12 year old could wear, a silk necktie, a sash across his chest bearing Lucian symbols, and his hair combed in a direction that felt unnatural and uncomfortable. Gladio, sides of his head freshly shaved and hair swept back, was forced to dress in the most formal version of his guards uniform. It was adorned with more elegant details than his everyday uniform--extra buttons with carved insignias, intricate, embroidered designs, dark gray gloves with white embroidery--that made him look as regal as the future king's Shield should._  

 

"You looked so handsome that night." Ignis lamented, almost sighing as his had slid from his shoulder to hold the side of his neck. "I'd never seen you dress up so much in uniform before then."

"Hey, don't interrupt my storytelling. I look handsome every night."

"Hmm, I wouldn't know about now." Fingers curled and played with the long locks of thick hair at the nape of his neck. "For all I know, you could look like a rather crusty old man."

"Ouch, baby."

 

_Ignis himself didn't own a guardsmen uniform, simply because it wasn't his profession yet, but both Regis and his uncle gently insisted that he wear something that equally reflected the importance of his own duty. He decided to practice wearing contact lenses specifically for the event, if only because he knew he was finally at the age where someone might ask him to dance. He opted for a a dark silver ascot for his tuxedo instead of a bowtie, which was tucked into a paisley vest of a similar color, and a jacket to top it off. He became used to wearing gloves as a retainer, and finding a pair that matched well with the rest was easy enough for him._

_The eldest enjoyed himself for a while before the amount of attention he got from multiple girls became overwhelming and unwanted even for him, and he'd never been so relieved to slip away and find the prince sitting off to the side and away, full pout. Gladio greeted Noctis with 'You look like a dork.'_

 

"Remind me why he was being a brat that night?" Gladio asked.

"His father wanted him to find a nice girl his age to dance with, but he was refusing, so I sat with him trying to convince him."

"Mm, right, and then I came over, sat on the other side of him because I was definitely not enjoying myself." Almost possessively, Gladio lightly squeezed his lover's hip, who chuckled in response.

"I don't think I've ever, in my life, seen you so flustered being around girls as I did then." He could feel Gladio dip his head closer to his own as they rotated once more, his voice lowering more as he spoke, and heat radiating from his face, the two only a few inches apart.

"Yeah, not around any _girls_." He punctuated to insinuate 'but I was around you,' and Ignis was amazed that after 12 years of being in a relationship, Gladio could still use flattery to make him blush.

 

_The young Shield tried to not only make his best friend's job in dealing with Noct a little easier, but also used the pair as respite for himself. He pointed out each and every young girl that would've been suitable for him, to which he would reply with 'no,' 'I don't know her,' 'gross,' and 'I'm uncomfortable.' The band played through three songs before they gave up and the three sat in a frustrated silence for a while. It wasn't until a smaller, more familiar girl excitedly danced across the floor on her own, enjoying every bit of it._

_'What about her? C'mon, no one would think anything of it.' Gladio urged._

_'It would be in good grace if you did. The coos and 'awws' of you dancing with a seven year old would be innocent enough to please everyone.' Ignis pressed._  

 

"They were disgustingly cute together, weren't they?"

Gladio hummed in agreement. "Iris still misses him, I can tell. I still miss him."

"We all do." There was a pause, and he could feel emotion well up like it always did when Noctis was mentioned, but Ignis had to remind himself that this story wasn't about him. He sucked in a breath. "Please, continue."

 

_Iris had dragged him off by the hand, dancing erratically and stepping on her dance partner's toes more often than someone closer to his age would've, but at least he was mostly spared the initial embarrassment he had about dancing at all. The two friends filled the gap left between them when their prince left, scooting in closer._

_'Anybody ask you to dance yet, Iggy?' The band prepared their next song, a female singer stepping onto the stage and as slow chords from an electric guitar played._

_'I'm afraid not,' he laughed. 'No one pays any mind to you when you're standing next to a pouting prince all night.' She began singing, slow and beautiful, and Ignis finally looked up to speak to his still-significantly-taller best friend._

_'Again,_  
_This couldn't happen again'_

_Gladio made some kind of comment about how old the song was, how King Regis must've requested such an old-timey romantic song specifically. But Ignis barely paid attention to his comment, finding himself staring at him, then his lips, once he looked back down at him._

_'This is that once in a lifetime_  
_This is the thrill divine'_

 

"That was the first time I saw you without glasses."

"And you liked it," Ignis added.

"I was caught off guard by it, actually." He nuzzled a kiss to his unscarred brow, "You looked damn good."

 

_'What's more, this never happened before'_

_Ignis was absolutely frozen. He couldn't look away from Gladio, how absolutely stunningly regal he looked, how his already solid and protective stature was just accentuated by his uniform. Never had he seen someone look so beautiful that he was in awestruck silence once he looked up close._

_'Though I have prayed for a lifetime_  
_That such as you would suddenly be mine'_

_Gladio, admittedly, had formed on a crush on his younger friend over time. The simple fact that now, in such a romantic setting, the boy looked up at him with such amorous eyes made the blood rush to his face and made him tear his gaze away from him. 'I've never seen you without your glasses. I could never see your eyes because there was always a glare.' He tried to comment so nonchalantly, scratching the back of his neck._

_'Mine to hold, as I'm holding you now,_  
_And yet never so near_  
_Mine to have, when the now and the here disappears'_

_'I'll admit, it does feel very odd. I don't think I'll be making a habit of it anytime soon.' Did he stare at Gladio too long, and that's why he looked away? Was Gladio staring because he was? He wanted to reach out to him so he'd look at him again. Don't think about it too much. Focus on how beautiful the singer's voice is, he told himself. He went to habitually adjust his glasses like he often did when he was fidgety, only to be hit with the embarrassment that the spectacles weren't there. Then, he was grateful the older boy wasn't looking at him_

_'What matters, dear, for when_  
_This doesn't happen again'_

 

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to dance with me so badly, Iggy." He spoke against his forehead, the steps of their dance getting smaller and smaller, less focused on the actual dance itself.

"You weren't alone in that yearning." The hand that was once twined with his Shield's now rested on the other side of his neck, letting Gladio's free hand rest on his other hip. Ignis sighed. "Fraternization within two professions that were both so closely involved with royalty was strictly forbidden. Whatever was there in that moment couldn't have happened regardless."

"I know." He said simply, definitely.

 

_'You look very handsome tonight yourself, Gladiolus.' His thoughts manifested into spoken words, when he meant to keep them strictly in his head. 'Which,' He had to make an effort to not stutter and stumble over his own words, choose them carefully. 'Which is to say, you clean up very well in formalwear.' Gladio's gaze shifted back to him, just as he wished, but he became immediately flushed and glanced at the band instead. 'Our King certainly chose a lovely voice for the evening, didn't he?'_

_Gladio was 15 years old, and he didn't know what loving someone romantically felt like. He was positive the way his heart thumped inside his chest when his crush complimented him was at least close to what love could've--maybe, possibly--felt like. He didn’t ignore his comment completely. 'You look really nice. Nicer than usual. You look...' Beautiful, handsome, attractive, any synonym for 'incredibly attractive' is what he wanted to say, but didn't._

_'We'll have this moment forever'_

_'...Really fancy.' He could've laid his hand over the other's, but that was far too bold. Ignis still looked at him, seemingly enamored, but he could've been wrong. Maybe it was his own love-tinted glasses that made him think that way; maybe the longer he stared at him, the more he tricked himself. He could look at him all night._

_Ignis wanted nothing more than to give up his first kiss then and there, and how good it would've been._

_'But never, never again'_

_As the singer finished her song, Noct abandoned a now-giddy Iris and walked straight back over to sit between the two of them again, breaking whatever spell had been cast between them. 'I guess that could've been worse,' He stated, and the other two barely shared a glance for the rest of the night. It could've been worse, and perhaps their lack of interaction was for the best._

 

Ignis closed his eyes, picturing the old memory in his head, and pressed his forehead up against Gladio's, and the Shield watched him and pressed his nose back. They now only gently, wordlessly swayed as the last few seconds of the song played out.

 _'We'll have this moment forever,_  
_But never, never again'_

With his eyes still closed, Ignis parted his lips and leaned into him more, melting into a deep kiss. He didn't need to feel his face to know where his lips were; he'd mapped out and memorized the entirety of his face years ago. The music had ended, and aside from the fire crackling behind them and the sound of lips smacking together, the room was silent. Gladio was in a daze with the sudden affection, half relishing in kiss, the other half glued to watching the man he loved so very much become lost in the kiss.

Slender fingers felt every bit of skin as his hands drifted from the larger man's neck and up to cup his jaw, and then suddenly Ignis pulled away from the kiss altogether and stopped as if he were surprised.

Before Gladio could question anything, Ignis chuckled. "I apologize, I--" He laughed again.

"What's wrong?"

"I was imagining kissing a 15 year old version of you until I touched your beard." Another snort came from him.

"Gross." He tried to be stern, but he devolved into chuckling just as much. "You're gross."

"Yet 'gross' is where you choose to lay your affections, my love."

Gladio's immediate response was to pepper kisses below and across the large scar on the left side of his face, stopping to scratch said aforementioned facial hair against his skin until he pushed his face away.

"Yeah, you've got me there."

**Author's Note:**

> wow I love Gladnis
> 
> thank you


End file.
